New Horizons: Pre-launch, launch and main cruise, Pluto and the Kuiper belt |
New Horizons: Pre-launch, launch and main cruise, Pluto and the Kuiper belt |
Feb 8 2005, 02:09 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 133 Joined: 29-January 05 Member No.: 161 |
Yes it's happening after all these years, the mission to the last planet!
And maybe to celebrate the confirmation of budget, NASA approval preparations and the fueling of the RTG (radioisotope thermoelectric generator), there is an updated web site at http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/ Launch will be January 2006 with arrival at the Pluto Charon system July 2015 (mark your calender!) and then on through the Kuiper belt during 2016-2020 and beyond. 20.8-centimeter telescope for 100m resolution at closest approach IR/UV spectrometers 2 x 8GB data recorders data rate: 768 bps (sic) to 70m DSN 465kg including fuel $650m 336 days to launch -------------------- |
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Jul 17 2005, 10:31 PM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1281 Joined: 18-December 04 From: San Diego, CA Member No.: 124 |
hi Bruce, I think I had heard that story about Goldin and Pluto... amazing, really. I would be interested in hearing more about your take on some other bits if I can talk Doug into starting an exploration strategies topic...
I am just glad that he didn't succeed in stopping this mission, if that was his preference! EDIT: (I started a Better Faster Cheaper topic over in EVA if anyone cares to join me... ) This post has been edited by lyford: Jul 18 2005, 09:41 PM -------------------- Lyford Rome
"Zis is not nuts, zis is super-nuts!" Mathematician Richard Courant on viewing an Orion test |
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Jul 23 2005, 11:29 PM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2488 Joined: 17-April 05 From: Glasgow, Scotland, UK Member No.: 239 |
New Scientist has an interesting article this week about the possibility of a number of reasonably large unfound planets (total mass: sub-Mars) in the region between Pluto and the Oort Cloud. It describes a plausible explanation (the 'Oligarch' theory) for some of the more extreme orbital strangenesses out there, and gives some examples of search strategies etc.
My questions relate to this, and probably I'm hoping that Alan, or perhaps Bruce, can answer: If an object is identified then what are the constraints on imaging it from New Horizons? At what point in the extended mission will images become impossible (I presume that we'll end up with some very low temperatures and a broken camera). By imaging, I mean anything up from a star-like dot - I'm not expecting pretty pictures! I presume that if an object was identified before the Pluto encounter then the spacecraft might be retargetted, and that there would be a fair 'spread' of space which might be reached. However, if any sort of slingshot wasn't carried out (perhaps due to any putative body not being discovered in time, or a desire to maximise Pluto/Charon science, or (gasp!) no money) then what sort of maneuvering capability would New Horizons be likely to have by then? I expect that it'd be very slight, and hardly likely to allow much retargetting, but would just like to know for sure! -------------------- Remember: Time Flies like the wind - but Fruit Flies like bananas!
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